A crooked bookmakers’ cashier allowed her own father to steal nearly £4,000 in a staged robbery, but she narrowly avoided jail time in the Edgware scandal.
Chevvine Darling, 28, from Colindale, assisted her father Anthony Whyte in carrying out a fake robbery at the Ladbrokes branch in Edgware in October 2016. Whyte, 46, entered the shop waving a threatening note demanding cash without any “tricks or buzzers.” Darling handed over £3,870 and then falsely reported that a stranger had robbed the shop.
Police from the Flying Squad quickly identified Whyte in March 2017 after linking him to the scene through phone data. The investigation intensified when officers tracked calls between Whyte and one of the cashiers, revealing that the accomplice was his daughter, Darling.
Darling was arrested at her home weeks later. Phone analysis showed she was in contact with her father throughout the day. Additionally, she had broken company rules by keeping too much cash in the safe, which facilitated the heist.
At Guildford Crown Court, Darling was convicted of conspiracy to steal and perverting the course of justice. She received a 21-month suspended sentence for two years and was ordered to complete 200 hours of community service, avoiding jail time.
Her father, Anthony Whyte, pleaded guilty to theft and was sentenced to 15 months in prison for this robbery. He also received an additional 21 months for a separate Ladbrokes robbery in December 2016, where he stole over £400. These sentences run concurrently, and he was also given a 30-month driving ban.
Detective Constable Emma Butcher said, “Chevvine Darling abused her position of trust to allow her father to steal a significant sum. The other cashier, believing it was a real robbery, suffered unnecessary fear and upset. The jail sentences reflect the serious consequences of these offences.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
